Monday, March 31, 2014

What is Banning Bossy?

For the past couple weeks you have probably been seeing #banbossy all over the internet and haven’t be sure what it is all about. We are here to help clear that up for you! Lean In and Girl Scouts have partnered up to create a movement of girl leadership. The campaign is encouraging girls to speak up and stand out at their schools and for the community to stop using descriptive words like “bossy” to describe these young girls.
                Words are extremely impactful, especially in the life of a young girl so when they get called words like “bossy” or “pushy” they are less likely to participate in future activities and take leadership roles. The Ban Bossy campaign wants to change this stigma and elevate girls to be the best leader they can be.

                Their website www.banbossy.com  is filled with helpful information and leadership tips. Girls, parents, teachers, managers, and troop leaders can download the tips and help ban bossy. So join the movement along with prominent female figures like Sheryl Sandberg and Beyonce and #banbossy today!

Thursday, March 20, 2014

19 Reasons to give to GSCTX on Amplify Austin Day!



There are many opportunities to give back to the causes we believe in, but there is only one day like Amplify Austin! On this day, for 24 hours straight, Blue Bell will match all donations made to GSCTX. How cool is that? Out goal is to raise $15,000 which will: 

It's that time of the year again! The sun is shining a little brighter, the birds are chirping, flowers are beginning to bloom and people are giving more and more. Why you say? Amplify Austin has arrived (along with Spring) and what better way is there to put some pep in your step by giving back to you very own community?

We can't wait to see how much we'll raise this year! We're counting on your donation! If you're still on the fence, here are a few things we know will put you in the giving spirit:

#wecantwaitto:
  • Send a girl to camp so she can discover the great outdoors! 
  • Fund a college scholarship so girls who can’t afford higher education can have that opportunity. 
  • Send a girl overseas to China, Australia, Iceland, London so she can experience the world and meet new people.
  • Spark a girl's interest in STEM that may help her become the next great physicist of our time.
  • Fund a troop trip and expose them to different cultures!
  • Improve our Equestrian Program so girls can learn more about horses and connect with animals.
  • Register a girl who can’t afford to join Girl Scouts so she has the same experiences as her peers.
  • Help fund our GSBB (Girls Scouts Beyond Bars) Program and help a girls defeat the statistics that come with having an incarcerated mother.
  • Fund our SISTERS (Stay In School To Enjoy Real Success) Program so girls will graduate high school and have a bright future ahead of them.
  • Support our Gold Award girls so they can achieve the highest award in Girl Scouting, inspire girls to find the greatness inside themselves and share their ideas and passions within their communities.
  • Fund our HACA (Housing Authority of the City of Austin) Program so we can serve girls whose families are on the waiting list for Section 8 housing. 
  • Fund innovative programming so our organization can serve over 20,000 central Texas girls.
  • Provide up to date computer equipment so girls can learn about cutting edge technology.
  • Fund GO GREEN programs for girls so they can take action for their environment by planting flowers or trees in their community!
  • Fund GO STRONG programs!
  • Fund GO CREATIVE programs!
  •  Fund GO STRONG programs!
  • Fund a FIRST or FLL Robotics team so girls can tackle tomorrow’s technological opportunities and challenges.
  • Fund a financial literacy program so girls will have the resources and knowledge on how to set goals, become financially responsible and learn how to earn and manage money.
These are just a few reasons to donate now. What else can you think of? Tell us in the comments below.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Turn Up the Giving to GSCTX with Amplify Austin, March 20-21st!

I LIVE HERE, 
I GIVE HERE.

GIVES YOU 
15,000 REASONS TO GIVE TO 
THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN LEADERS       

               WHAT DO YOU  MEAN TURN $20 TO $40?                    

Every dollar you give, in any amount, is matched dollar-for-dollar by Blue Bell, up to $15,000 during Amplify Austin! Give $20 during Amplify Austin and it becomes $40 for the programs and services of GSCTX!

WHAT IS AMPLIFY AUSTIN? 

24 hours of giving madness and your chance to double your impact on Girl Scouts of Central Texas! From March 20th at 6 PM to March 21st at 6 PM. You can also schedule your donation today!

YOUR CHALLENGE?

Blue Bell has challenged GSCTX to raise $15,000 during Amplify Austin! When we do, Blue Bell will give GSCTX a $15,000 corporate sponsorship! So for every dollar you give, GSCTX gets another dollar for the programs of services of Girl Scouts of Central Texas!

WHY GSCTX?  

By supporting the work of Girl Scouts of Central Texas you double your impact on the programs and services of GSCTX. You have the power to create transformational, positive change for Girl Scouts and for our community:


  • Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. Every year Girl Scouts provides over 75 million hours of direct community service.
     
  • Girl Scouts is transforming the leadership landscape for girls which will produce the greatest return on investment through economic development, social progress, and public health. Girls Scouts contribution to society represents $1.6 billion in sustainable girl-led projects.  

  • Katie Couric, Vera Wang, Sandra Day O'Connor, Condoleezza Rice, Mae Jamison, and Irene Rosenfeld are just some of our notable Girl Scout alumnae. Eight out of ten Girl Scout alumnae attribute their personal and professional success to Girl Scouting.

SCHEDULE YOUR DONATION TODAY! 

Amplify Austin allows you to go ahead and submit your gift today and it will be run between 6 PM on March 20th through 6 PM on March 21st.



Friday, March 7, 2014

Camp Series: Open Houses, Rain or Shine!

On Saturday, campers and families braved the cold to come out for a fun day at Camp Texlake for our very first Open House of the season!  In the midst of sub-freezing temperatures, tours, toasty  hot popcorn, games, a visit to our horses and a chat with our Equestrian Specialist, and a drawing for a free week of camp kept the group in good spirits!
Congratulations to camper Tess, the big winner of our free week of camp!

For a chance to win and to enjoy the fun of getting better acquainted with GSCTX Camps, come to:

Camp Kachina: Sunday March 16 2-5pm
Zilker Day Camp: Sunday, March 23 2-5pm

To register for the event and get directions or ask any questions, please call me, KJ Falchuk, Camps Coordinator at 512-264-1044 or e-mail kjf@gsctx.org.

Rain or shine, freeze or warmth, Open Houses are a blast!

Can’t make an Open House?  Contact me to schedule a visit for a Camper Family Orientation in your area.

Thanks for tuning in to this installment of Camp Word of the Week!



Thursday, March 6, 2014

Shed the old: How Emilee Remodeled her Band's Storage Area

Gold Award Girls


The following entry was written by Emilee Ward, who took on the task of remodeling the band for the Lake Travis Cavaliers. She wanted to improve her high school campus and help the band and that she did! Read about her Gold Award project below:
________________________________________________________________________

I choose this project because I love being a member of the Lake Travis Cavalier band – it is like a family to me.  The shed was definitely a project that someone needed to tackle because it was an eye sore for our campus and it was a complete mess.  I knew that with help from my fellow troop member, Ashley, we could turn the shed into great project that would give us pride, help the band, and improve our school.

At first, we wanted to replace the building with a new one, but after researching the cost to take down the old building, prepare the land, deal with the electrical and plumbing and the cost of a new building, it was out of our budget.  So we decided to remodel the building instead.  When we decided this, it was like having to start planning a whole new project.

We also faced a challenge when our band our director stepped down and left working for Lake Travis. This put a pause in our plans, because we had to wait for a new director and start all over with getting approval from him and the school district.

Another obstacle we had to overcome was the bases of our awnings. We initially thought that we could dig holes and sink the wood supports in the hole and fill it in with concrete. But when we called the city, using the 311 system, we found there here were electric and water lines underground – so we had to revise our plan.  It is important when digging to make sure there are no plumbing or electrical lines in the path of the hole!

Our budget given to us from the LT Band Parents, Inc. was budgeted at $500. Because we had decided to remodel, we needed more financial help.  Our parents visited several businesses around the community (Lowe’s, Muller, All Seasons Landscaping, The Home Depot, Sherwin Williams and The Brown Paint Company).  We were given materials such as wood, hardware, sheet metal, paint, copper tubing (for the faucets), concrete blocks and many other items.  We were lucky to have such generous businesses in our area.

I believe I have learned a lot from this project!
Working together:  being able to work with Ashley really taught me to keep up my end of the project and the importance of working together as a team to get things done.
Responsibility:  this was really important because I kept up with everything I was responsible for, like keeping track of the budget and the time log. 
Meeting Deadlines:   this year we really had to be done with the shed and done with building and painting by band camp that way it was fully functioning to benefit the band. 
Communication:  I really learned how important communication through setting up meetings and emailing the Principal and other band parents who used the shed for storage of food, water and other supplies.  

Select a project that is important to you, and that you know you will be proud to be a part of, because it makes the project so much more fun and keeps you motivated.  Definitely keep a time log of your work while you work, because you will forget what and when did it!  Finally, take lots of pictures because the before and after is so fun to look and helps show how much you project really contributes.                                                                                                                         

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Need Marketing Advice? Ask a Girl Scout.

If you needed to know anything about marketing, you'd ask someone in the field, right? Someone who is seasoned, knows and understands the way products sell and what motivates people to buy.
Would you consider asking a young girl? Maybe if that girl was a Girl Scout. As we've said before, our girls are the youngest and savviest entrepreneurs on the block--YOUR block!

In fact, others are catching on--like Anne Hebert, a marketing consultant and blogger, who reached out to the Girl Scout population and asked them to write her a sales pitch.

The winner was 11 year-old Kate Schulle fro Cedar Park. Head over to Anne's blog to read all about Kate's pitch and what a real marketing expert learned from a Girl Scout.


Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Girl Feature: Allison Rich and the Lady Cans

Girl Scout Alumnae Allison Rich was recently honored by the Crockrell School of Engineering Women in Engineering Program (WEP) at the University of Texas (UT).  The UT mechanical engineering student has had a strong connection to STEM related studies ever since she was in GSCTX’s first Lady Cans robotics team, which was only one of the two teams in the nation. This pioneering Girl Scout started lady cans in the pursuit of more engineering programs for Girl Scouts. She began with little knowledge about engineering, but soon learned everything from using a hand drill to labVIEW. Allison’s first Lady Cans completion robot won the Rookie Inspiration Award at the Lone Star Regional. 

Allison has gone on and furthered her education at UT’s Crockrell School of Engineering. Allison’s receiving of the WEP Mechanical Engineering is an incredible honor and we are very proud of her. With GSCTX’s STEM program we know that our Girl Scouts can and will change the world of tech. 

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Girl Power: Troop 4136

We are always overjoyed to hear about the girls that make up our council. They are what keeps us going! Today, we feature Girl Scout Troop 4136--girls who have known each other for years and will be lifelong friends, one of the many treasures that come with being a Girl Scout.

_________________________________________________________________________

"A troop that starts together stays together," is a motto that troop 4136 can actually say they have lived and breathed. The Stephenville troop started in Kindergarten with members Avery M. and Shelby S. Brittney C., Kelsey S., and Elizabeth A. would join the troop in the following years. All of the Girls have earned their Bronze and Silver Awards and are in hot pursuit of their Gold Award.
            
    Each Girl in the troop is also extremely involved in high school and other activities outside of school. Avery is a member of the Stephenville High School Stingerettes Drill Team, as well as being a member of the varsity choir. Shelby, also a member of the Stingerettes Drill Team, competes competitively with the Stephenville Stingray swim team.  Brittney, a member of the Stingerettes Drill Team as well,  is the reigning Cowboy Capital of the World Teen Pro Rodeo Queen. Elizabeth, the final member of the troop involved with the Stingerettes Drill Team, is currently ranked #1 in her sophomore class at Stephenville High School. Kelsey plays trumpet in the Stephenville High School Yellowjacket Marching Band and has performed in the halftime show at the Sugar Bowl.

This amazing troop is living proof of how accomplished and driven our girls are. They really can do anything and still take care of Girl Scout business! We can't wait to see where these girls will go in the future